Holidays at Clockworks
by MartunaMajor
Summary: The holiday season. Oh how wonderful the season was. Winter, bringing fresh snowfall and cold winds, a reason for comfort in warmth and company, and a swelling of love and joy for everyone around. But what happens when a department store has a massive staffing crisis? Will Weiss be able to fix the problem she caused, or will the pressure cost her everything she's worked for?
1. Chapter 1

The holiday season. Oh how wonderful the season was. Winter, bringing fresh snowfall and cold winds, a reason for comfort in warmth and company, and a swelling of love and joy for everyone around. A season of giving, of family, and of hope. The time of year in which little acts of kindness spread through the streets faster than the flashing lights and decorations adorning every building.

Though, most importantly, the Winter season and the many holidays associated with it also bring about the most important thing.

"Profits!" Weiss squealed, looking at the many pages of the expense report she had been given earlier that day. After swiftly dealing with a small set back with a few of the employees, she had returned to her office to personally gloat at her own accomplishments.

"Oh wow, I do believe these are record numbers for the company!" Weiss said, barely able to contain the excitement and pride in her voice. She quickly shuffled through the pages and compared herself to her other department heads. "Oh, Glynda's not even close! And Peter, the fool thinks that he has the tact to sell anything at all! Not to mention dear old ' _Doctor'_ Bartholomew. He may be quick on his feet, but his lack of personability is his downfall!"

Weiss couldn't contain her laugh as she continued through the report, but wasn't focusing closely on any particular part of it. After being satisfied with the information, she reorganized the report and laid them to rest on her desk. She then took a few minutes to calm herself down and focus on her office.

It wasn't the most luxurious office she had ever been in, but what it lacked in luxury, Weiss made up for in style. She wasn't allowed to change the desk, but it was a solid oak desk that spanned nearly half her office, curling in the middle to rest perfectly against the wall. It had more than enough space for her to organize herself how she wanted, and she was able to paint the walls a nice light blue to accent the desk's brighter color. She had a pair of plain cushioned chairs on the other side of her desk for those she would talk business with.

Behind her was a full window spanning the entire wall with the late morning sun illuminating her office. She could look behind her and see the sprawling city of Vale beneath her. Every once in awhile, she would stand in front and look out, imagining herself owning everything she could see.

The walls of the office were nearly filled with awards she had obtained in her lifetime and various big name celebrities she had managed to get a photo with. There was a coat hanger in the corner by the desk for her to use, and a decent sized plant occupied the opposite corner, though anyone who looked at it for a few seconds would realize it was fake.

Just then, a knock came at her office door, snapping her mind into focus once again. She quickly grabbed the illegitimately gained expense reports and organized them away. "Come in," she called when she was certain her secret was safe.

"Ms. Schnee," her secretary Velvet began as she made her way into the room, "the president would like to speak with you in his office."

"Hmm, did he mention what he would like to discuss?" Weiss asked.

"No," Velvet said.

"Alright, I'll be over in a few minutes. I have some loose ends to tie up here." Weiss said, dismissing her secretary with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, um, there was something else," Velvet said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Weiss asked dismissively as she spun her chair so she could stare out her window.

"I was told to tell you that it was urgent."

Weiss popped out of her chair and made her way around the desk quickly. "Urgent? Why didn't you start with that?" She said as she sped past her, trying her best to still look professional.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Schnee. It's just-" Velvet followed behind until she nearly ran into her boss, who had stopped suddenly.

Weiss turned around to face her secretary. "Velvet, do we need to have this conversation again?"

Velvet took a step back and her normally straight rabbit ears drooped. "N-no, Ms Schnee."

"Very good. Now, when I get back, I expect a fresh cup of coffee, the newest designs for next season's collection, and a meeting set up with HR about their employment selection process." Weiss spun around and continued her way through the halls to her boss's office, barely registering her secretary's half-hearted reply.

It didn't take long to make her way to the president's office. He had a philosophy of making sure everyone who held a similar title or office would share the same space, and since her position was so close to president itself, she was able to work on the same floor.

Just before the last turn, she stopped for a moment and smoothed out her white suit jacket top and black dress, making sure she looked ready to face the president. After she turned the corner, Weiss could see the double doors with a plaque that read: President Ozpin. As she approached, she noticed his secretary seated behind her desk.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Schnee. He's expecting you." Amber said as she waved Weiss along.

"Thank you." Weiss said as she made her way to the double doors and gently threw them open to allow herself in.

"Ah, Ms. Weiss Schnee. Please, come in and have a seat." Ozpin politely said with a smile. He was sat behind a large desk which was a little different than most. It wasn't wood, but had a metal frame and a glass top and bottom. Not only that, it was shaped differently, with a curve outward in the middle to give him more reach around. Inside the desk was a set of cogs, all rotating in sync, but never giving off a sound.

His back wall was another large window that held an excellent view of Vale and the ocean during sunrise. The rest of his office was rather bare, however, as he had a simple bookshelf filled with an assortment of texts, and two chairs on the other side of the desk that looked as ordinary as the ones in her own office. Even the walls had nothing on them.

Weiss made her way to the nearest chair and sat down, making sure she was seated comfortably. "Thank you, sir. Now, I hear this is an urgent meeting?" She said as she effortlessly put forth a comfortable smile.

"Well, yes," Ozpin said as he reached over to one side of his desk and grabbed a small folder. He brought it in front of him and opened it up, revealing a few pieces of paper with names at the top and information about them below. "This is about the incident that happened earlier today."

Weiss kept her composure, "Oh, sir, you don't have to worry about that. I was just about to fill out all the paperwork and personally meet with HR to make sure that everything went smoothly."

"Well, it is good to hear that this wouldn't slow you down from your normal workload, but that doesn't absolve you from this massive problem you have just caused for us." Ozpin said.

Weiss froze, "I'm sorry, sir. What problem?"

Ozpin leaned forward, "Ms. Schnee, here at Clockworks we strive for dedication to our customers, and a sense of family with our employees. As the president and founder, I have taken great strides to ensure that everyone can find a welcoming place to shop. However, we can't continue that when we have no employees on the store floor to assist the customers. Now I understand that you might have a problem with a few employees, but firing eight of them in the span of ten minutes is a major cause of concern, and will stress the business and other associates."

Weiss gave an apologetic smile, then sat forward in her chair. "Mr. Ozpin, sir, I understand that, but there were very good reasons behind my actions."

"I would very much like to hear what those reasons are." Ozpin said, grabbing the first page on top and sliding it across the table for her to see. "Starting with Jaune Arc."

Weiss relaxed slightly, knowing this was her moment to defend herself. "Well, Jaune Arc, in the simplest terms, is an idiot. He has been working here for months, but still doesn't know how to perform the basic functions of his job. I also had suspicions that his resume wasn't quite accurate, but I had no proof. Just a few minutes ago, he was setting up a display totally wrong."

Ozpin nodded in understanding, brushing off the question of how she saw his resume, and continued by sliding another page across to her. "And what about Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Pyrrha was a great employee, and very personable, but lacked the ability to stand up for herself. Not only that, but she was so head over heals for Arc that it impacted her work. I do wish I didn't have to let her go, but it is done."

Without a moment of hesitation, another page came to rest in front of Weiss. "Nora Valkyrie?"

"She had too much energy, was loud and rambunctious, often times scaring away customers, and couldn't stick to a task long enough to complete it."

"Now what about Lie Ren?" Ozpin said as another page settled in front of Weiss.

"He was calm and quiet under pressure, but too quiet. He would never interact with the customers, and would spend all shift trying to deal with Nora. Honestly, I'm surprised he even cares about her."

"Cardin Winchester?"

At the mention of the name, Weiss lost her professionalism for just a moment. "Ooh, do I have some things to say about Cardin and his 'team'. He, along with Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark were all a tight nit group that would always try to get shifts together, and then do as little work as possible. And the work they did do was subpar or incomplete. Their interactions with customers was also deplorable, as they would only help the female clientele, and focus more on flirting with them than helping them."

"Alright, Ms. Schnee, I understand your point." Ozpin interrupted, holding up a hand. "That being said, the responsibility of employee management does not fall to you unless under extreme circumstances. HR is meant to handle those, and to provide adequate enough time for them to bring about new staff to replace them."

"Yes, but sir, I-" Weiss began, but was interrupted as Ozpin continued.

"Furthermore, this has caused a lot of our associates to look down on you personally, since you made a scene on the show floor."

Weiss stayed silent, unsure of what to say to help get her out of this situation.

Ozpin gave a soft sigh, "Ms. Schnee, at twenty three years old, you are our youngest department head that Clockworks has ever had, and I know you've seen the expense reports, so you know you are making far more than any other department."

"Wait, how did you know I've seen the reports?" Weiss asked, fearing for her standing in the company.

"Don't worry about that. Just know that Amber is good at what she does," Ozpin replied. "However, you don't need to worry about that. I have faith you won't use those against me. What you do need to worry about is the associate vacuum you've created. Now, as you told me before, you are having a meeting with HR, correct?"

"Yes, sir" Weiss said, a little relieved.

"Well then, that is perfect. I would like you to work with HR personally to help fill the positions that you have opened." Ozpin said, unable to hide his smile.

Weiss' jaw hit the floor, "Excuse me, Sir?"

"Well, however good your reasonings were for terminating eight people in one shift, you were the one who caused the problem. And since it seems like it didn't slow you down, you should have enough time to help pick up the slack for them, right?"

"What?" Weiss asked, not believing what she heard.

"Well, it'd be simple. Just help go through the applications, be present for interviews, and give them a tour on their first day," Ozpin said.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this is ridiculous." Weiss said in bewilderment.

"I agree, this is a little peculiar, but," Ozpin's face hardened and locked eyes with Weiss, "I can always send you back down to the show floor where you started. I have no problems running the dust department while I find a suitable replacement for you. Wasn't there another woman who started the same time as you? Fiery personality and brilliant blonde hair?"

Weiss remained silent for a moment, knowing that there was only one way to keep herself from losing everything she worked for. "I understand, sir."

"Oh that's wonderful to hear!" Ozpin said cheerfully, rising from his chair and breaking the tension in the room. He made his way to the other side of his desk, "I'm glad you understand, and look forward to seeing what you can bring to this fine establishment."

Weiss stood and faced him, "I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do." She sounded professional, but inside she felt defeated.

"And I'm sure you'll do your best," Ozpin said, leading her out of the office.

As Weiss finally stepped out, she saw Amber at her desk typing away. She lifted her head to address Weiss. "I've already let HR know about the arrangements, so all you need to do is go down after lunch and get acquainted with them. Does that work for you?"

"That will have to work, I suppose." Weiss said as she made her way past the desk and back to her own office.

As she was walking, she noticed Velvet coming along the hallway towards her. She then fell into stride and the two kept walking.

"Alright, Ms. Schnee," Velvet said as she handed her a large book, "This is the design catalogue for next season, and I just got off the phone with HR. They said they were expecting my call, and to have you meet them on their second floor office at 3 pm." Velvet said.

"Alright, Velvet. That'll be all for now." Weiss said as she took the last few steps into her office and grabbed the fresh coffee cup that was sitting on her desk. She then opened the catalogue and sat down, skipping over the initial pages and making her way to the dust section.

* * *

Weiss stepped off the elevator and onto the ground floor. She then wound her way through the employee only section until she made her way to the show floor. She stepped out confidently and peered around the massive superstore before her.

Everywhere she looked she saw customers looking through the many brands they had on display, comparing prices, and looking for just the right thing to purchase. She quickly made her way past them and headed to where her department was located. She stopped short as the familiar blonde hair she could recognize from anywhere was behind the counter.

Weiss took a deep breath and continued on to the dust section of Clockworks. The section was no bigger than any other department in the store, but always seemed to attract a bigger crowd than anywhere else. There was a large booth in the middle with precut dust crystals on display through the glass. It circled all the way around and had just one person in the middle manning the entire section.

Just passed that, there were various pipes with pure dust inside attached to the wall . Around and below those pipes, containers of various sizes were sold to extract and carry the dust where the customer needed.

And around the booth to fill the excess space were shelves of pre dust infused accessories and smaller dust crystals.

Overall, Weiss was proud of the set up she had come up with. It was originally vastly different when she was first promoted to head of the dust department. But, in the span of a month, she had virtually flipped the entire department and started making major improvements. Now it was one of Clockwork's main attractions for customers.

As Weiss made her way closer, the lone blonde assisting the customers looked up briefly and noticed her boss walking up to her. The blonde shot a polite smile and carried on with her job.

Weiss smirked at her employee's resolve, but then a question popped up into her head. She figured she would ask rather than just wonder, and waited for the blonde to be done.

After a few seconds, she directed her attention at Weiss and gave a quizzical look. "What's up, boss?" Yang asked as she reached for an item a customer was asking about.

"Where are the other three people that are supposed to be working with you?" Weiss asked as her eyes followed her employee's movements around the booth.

"Well, since we have a sudden short staffing, the entire store has had to shift around people. And since I can run this place by myself, I let the others go." Yang said as she set about helping another customer.

Weiss pulled out her scroll to check the time and saw that she still had another hour before her meeting with HR. Weiss stashed her scroll away, took a deep breath, and went around and inside the booth to help with the first customer.

Weiss effortlessly slid into the position and the two of them work together efficiently to deal with the customers crowding the booth. In just thirty minutes, the swell of customers died down and the two were able to relax for a moment.

"So," Yang started as she began reorganizing the merchandise, "what brings our peerless leader all the way down here?"

Weiss simply watched as she addressed her, "I had some free time and was just making sure everything was running smoothly for my department. Nothing like a personal look to see how everything is doing."

Yang scoffed, "Is that all? And here I was thinking you had made an effort to visit yours truly."

Weiss scowled, "Yang, I understand that you're still bitter about the promotion, but-"

"Woah woah woah," Yang turned around to face her boss, "You have the wrong idea. I don't resent Ozpin's decision to promote you to the head of our department. You've done some real good here."

Weiss couldn't help but gleam at her employee's compliment. "Oh, thank you-"

"That being said," Yang interrupted again, taking a step forward, "what I do resent is the fact that after your rocket up the ranks, you've forgotten about the people who helped you get to where you are."

Weiss took a step forward herself, "Hey, that's not fair. I've been extremely busy making sure that everything that Mr. Torchwick left behind was fixed."

Yang put her hands up defensively, "And I know that. But today is the first time you have spoken to me directly that isn't some command in almost a year. We both started off here four years ago, but now you seem to have forgotten the struggles we helped each other through."

It finally clicked in Weiss' mind what the conversation was truly about. "Ok, I understand where you're coming from, I really do. However, I still need to be careful. This new position brings with it more responsibility, and a lot of expectation. I know you remember Torchwick and Neo. The two were basically inseparable, and it caused a lot of rumors to float around about the two." She paused as she took a step back and leaned against the counter, "You remember who my father is. If I don't show real improvement or have bad rumors flying around about me, he'll have my head."

Yang nodded as she turned and continued her work, "You're right, I understand. I shouldn't have expected so much."

"Yang, that's not fair!" Weiss pouted as she crossed her arms.

Yang couldn't hold back her laugh. "You know, deep down, you really haven't changed."

"You know what, I don't have time for this. I have a meeting with HR I need to go to." Weiss said exasperated as she stormed out of the booth.

"Hang on a minute," Yang said, stopping Weiss before she could get too far. "If that meeting with HR is what I think it is, then I have just the applicant that would be eager to join the team. She can even come in tomorrow"

Weiss shook her head defiantly before raising her hand, "No thank you, Yang. I can only deal with one of you. I don't want to have to handle your partner in crime."

Yang simply shrugged and called after Weiss who started walking away, "Whatever you say, Ice Queen!"

Weiss cringed at the old nickname Yang always used to call her, but continued walking. She made her way back to the elevator and pushed the button for floor two.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello, I hope you enjoyed this holiday inspired fic. This is just the beginning, so I hope I can get this all out in December.

Either way, please favorite, follow, and review. It means a lot to get some feedback.

-MM


	2. Chapter 2

The elevator opened once again, allowing Weiss to exit the elevator and make her way down the halls. She rounded a corner, but stopped abruptly when she saw a man with familiar blue hair sitting behind a desk. She turned to look and saw none other than an old coworker.

"Neptune?" Weiss asked.

Neptune looked up from his desk at the mention of his name, then smiled as he recognized who it was. "Weiss? Hey, it's good to see you again. We've been expecting you."

"We?" Weiss asked again.

Her question was quickly answered as she heard another set of footsteps coming down the hallway. "Ah, you must be Weiss Schnee, head of the dust department."

Weiss turned to find a tall and muscular man with bright blonde hair and a dorky smile on his face. He was wearing a suit, but she couldn't tell if he purposely ordered a size too small as his muscles were easily visible through the fabric. She also noticed a yellow tail behind him, and immediately drew herself up and took a step back.

"Oh, yes I am. And you are?" Weiss asked, keeping a close eye on the faunus before her.

"Right, where are my manners. I'm Sun, and I'm here to work with Neptune on getting some new faces to fill some sudden slots." Sun retained his smile as he held out a hand to greet Weiss.

"Right, well I hope you're able to pull your weight around here." Weiss said as she side stepped the offered hand and entered the room Neptune was in. "So, Neptune, I don't know about you, but I have a lot of work to do before the end of the day." She said quickly, making sure not to face away from the door.

Neptune looked back and forth between Weiss and Sun with a suspicious look on his face. "Alright, Weiss. If Sun being here makes you uncomfortable, then I apologize, but he and I have been working together up here since I was promoted from the show floor."

"Oh, don't worry," Weiss said, looking quickly towards Sun, "there won't be a problem."

Sun folded his arms over his chest and stood in the doorway, though left enough room for Weiss to make a quick escape. "If she has no problems with me, then I won't have a problem with her."

Neptune once again exchanged glances between the two of them before giving a small sigh and grabbing a folder from his desk. "Alright, then I suggest we move our meeting to someplace a little more spacious."

Neptune lead the way out of his office and Sun followed behind, leaving Weiss in the rear to keep her eyes on the faunus.

After walking a few steps down the hallway, Neptune opened up a door to his right and walked into a small conference room. It had a small circular table and four chairs around it with a white board on the wall.

Neptune grabbed a chair, and the others sat on either side of him. Neptune then set the folder down on the table and looked to Weiss. "Alright, Weiss. This is the list of applications we have received over the past couple of days. They're organized by the time we received the application so there's less of a bias. The last thing we want to do is judge someone on anything other than their credentials."

"That's respectable," Weiss said.

"That's our goal," Neptune said with a prideful smile. "Now, the way Sun and I do things is pretty simple. This is just a preliminary look, so we just see whether they'll be able to work with us. Does that make sense?"

Weiss nodded as she watched Neptune take the folder and turn it upside down and open the folder backwards. He then took the page on top and flipped it over. "Alright, let's get started." Neptune said as he read off the name of the first applicant. "Here we have Penny Polendina. Her resume is pretty small, only listing that she was home schooled and that she has been involved in a number of charity events. She has not had a job, so she'll be a clean slate."

"Oh, jackpot! I say yes." Sun said triumphantly.

"Excuse me? What's so good about this individual? As far as I could tell, she's done nothing." Weiss said.

"Well, that's actually a benefit for us since we won't have to worry about her trying to do things the way she was taught before. It'll be like a fresh block of clay for us to mold how we want," Neptune explained. "And, since she's been to charity events, she's experienced a large crowd of strangers. I say yes as well. What about you?"

Weiss was silent for a moment as she judged what Neptune had just said. "Alright, I say she's a yes as well."

"Perfect," Neptune said as he placed the paper on the other side of the table. He then picked up another piece of paper, which ended up being stapled to another. "Oh, looks like we have a special case here today."

Sun looked over the page carefully, "Huh, is it a criminal?"

Weiss perked up at the word, "Criminal? What? We don't hire criminals here, right?"

Neptune flipped the page over and looked at the second sheet. "Well, at Clockworks we have a special program for those who were recently released from prison for minor crimes. We hire them for a chance to get back on their feet and get readjusted to life." Neptune then turned the page back over and read it again, a quizzical look on his face.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, leaning around to try to read the application.

"Well, this is actually two applications in one. A pair of petty thieves that were caught after a disagreement and haven't gotten along since. They want to try to keep them together in hopes of discouraging any more unlawful activity." Neptune read.

"You actually got an application from thieves to work in a store this size?" Weiss asked, baffled. "They'd be out with half the merchandise before the end of the week."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sun said. "We were able to keep Cardin Winchester in line pretty well."

"Wait, Cardin was a criminal?" Weiss asked.

"Breaking and entering and larceny, but that's confidential." Sun explained.

"What? But I just fired him today." Weiss said, a bit of fear creeping into her voice.

Neptune gave a small smile to Weiss, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about him. Deep down he's a big softy."

The encouragement didn't do much to ease Weiss' worries. She barely paid attention to the two others as they made a decision on these two thieves name Emerald and Mercury. When they finally got to her choice, she replied with a half-hearted "Whatever you want to go with."

Neptune then set it on the other side of the table on top of Penny's and picked up the next application.

Weiss cleared her mind of Cardin and focused back on her current job. The next applicant was a clear bust, and Neptune set in next to the first pile. The rejection pile then grew rather quickly as people either overqualified or expecting a very different job experience were weeded through. Only four more names were chosen for the acceptable pile, bringing the total potential interviews to seven.

The whole process had only taken an hour, but at the end of it, she felt exhausted. Neptune gathered up the rejected applications and put them back in the folder and closed it, then grabbed the accepted ones and put it on top.

"Alright, that's a solid first step. Let's see what applications we'll get tomorrow. Will you be free the same time tomorrow as well?" Neptune asked as he rose from his chair and made his way to the door.

Weiss stood from her seat and attempted to maintain her professionalism, "Yes, that will be fine."

"Perfect. Then I'll call these people and set up interviews in a few days. I'll let you know when that'll all go down." Neptune said as he opened the door and let Weiss walk through, followed by Sun.

"Of course, just let my secretary Velvet know so that she can put it on my calendar." Weiss said as she made her way back to Neptune's office.

"Wow, fancy new promotion comes with your own personal secretary?" Sun said.

"One of the perks, I guess," Weiss replied as she quickened her steps.

They made it back to Neptune's office, though Sun quickly said his goodbyes and departed. Weiss kept her eyes on him as she watched him go, though that didn't go unnoticed by Neptune.

"So, Weiss, how's the new position been treating you?" Neptune asked, trying to drag his old co worker to think of something else.

"Busy," Weiss replied shortly as she turned back to focus on Neptune, "though it hasn't been without its benefits. But I feel I've done a good job with what I was given. You saw how the dust department was running before."

Neptune gave a small smile, "Everyone who was working at Clockworks at the time remembers. It was horrible, and the stories made it seem worse."

"Exactly," Weiss said, though her eyes snapped to the folder he still had in his hands. "So, how do you think it went today with the whole application screening process?"

Neptune looked down at the folder and then back up with a solemn expression. "Well, not too bad, but in all honesty I would've been a little happier with a few more applications. We have some solid options here, but some of them are a stretch. Having an overflow means we don't have to accept every person we talk to and keeping us from a having a high turn around. Though the truth is that we do have an imaginary deadline to meet with the holiday season just about to hit its busiest in less than a week. Otherwise, we would just cycle in two new associates every other week for two months"

Weiss then thought back to her interaction with Yang earlier. "Alright, well what if I can get an almost guaranteed approved application here by tomorrow?"

Neptune gave a soft smile, "Well, nothing is guaranteed until Sun and I look at them, but if you can get the application here by tomorrow then I'd really appreciate it. Just remember, we can't just hire them because they're one of your friends or family."

"Oh no, it's not from me, but Yang brought it up while I was down there with her. She said that she could have them here by tomorrow." Weiss said.

"Oh, well if Yang can get them here by tomorrow, we can have an interview right then and there. How about that instead of another application batch tomorrow at three?" Neptune asked.

"That works for me. I'll let Yang know." Weiss said, making her way back down the hallway towards the elevator.

"Have a good night, Weiss!" Neptune called after her.

Weiss simply ignored it, though a small smile arose to her lips, and it carried her all the way down the elevator to the ground floor once again.

Once she was out, she once again made her way to the dust section. But instead of the bright blonde hair of Yang, she noticed a familiar brown barrette of another associate under her.

"Coco, where did Yang go?" Weiss asked as she made her way back up to the booth.

Coco lowered her sunglasses to look her boss in the eye, though quickly raised them back up. "Well, she finished her shift almost two hours ago and rushed off." She said.

Weiss' spirits sank as her mind immediately pictured the schedule. _'How could I have forgotten?'_ She thought as she grabbed her scroll. She then turned away and went to a place more quiet as she searched her contacts for Yang's number. Her mood lifted as she found it and quickly called the number.

The line rang once, twice, and a third time before Weiss felt discouraged. It rang two more times before Yang finally picked up.

"Yes, hello, Weiss? Are you there?" Yang asked, though it was rushed and whispered.

"Yang? Are you ok?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you just caught me at a bad time. Though I'm sure it's important, so what's up?" Yang whispered again.

"Well, that applicant you were talking about earlier? Could you bring them in for an interview tomorrow at three?" Weiss asked.

"Woah, interview? Was the meeting with HR that bad?" Yang asked, though a loud noise in the background kept Weiss from responding. "Never mind, she'll be there. Gotta go!" Then the line went dead.

Weiss looked at her scroll in confusion, but then noticed that it was almost five in the afternoon. She quickly stashed her phone, made her way back to the elevator, and up to her office to immerse herself in the last of the work she needed to finish before the end of the day.

* * *

 **A/N:** To be honest, I've never hired anyone in my life, so don't look too deeply into this. This is just a way to introduce a few characters I may or may not be using later on down the road. Loved the follow count I got for the first chapter. Thank you so much.

Though don't forget to fave, follow, and review. It fills my heart with holiday joy.

-MM


	3. Chapter 3

The streets of Vale were alive with activity as the exultation of the holiday season shone through every person's smile and every lighted holiday decoration. The businesses were bustling with customers that were looking for presents for family and friends. And as the day went on, an increasingly panicked girl could be seen running from store to store.

"Alright, thanks anyway!" Ruby called back to the store associate she had just talked to. She walked out and looked at the folder in her hand. "One resume left, huh?" She said dejectedly.

Ruby had been job hunting all day. This morning before sitting down for breakfast, she printed off a number of resumes to hand out to anyone looking to hire some holiday help. However, store after store she received the same response: "I'm sorry, miss, but we're not hiring anyone else for the holiday season."

She had just made her way outside of a small dust shop after receiving the same response and looked out on the streets of Vale. While the sight before her was filled with jubilation, the long day of many rejections kept her spirits low. So with a heavy heart and a bowed head, she started on her way back home.

"What did I do wrong?" Ruby asked herself as she wound her way through the city. She had been on the job hunt for a month in the hopes of easing her sister's physical and financial strain.

Yang had moved away from Patch for almost two years before her adventurous side got the better of her and she convinced Ruby that they could both take on the big city of Vale together. Once Ruby had arrived in the city, Yang quickly set about moving to a larger apartment to accommodate the both of them, but she soon realized just how expensive a second bedroom would be. So instead, she settled for a larger single bedroom apartment and made a bunkbed for the two to share.

Once the two moved in and found a rhythm to their new life, Ruby understood why Yang wanted her to come and live in Vale with her. In her first week, she realized just how lonely it was being alone while Yang was at work. She tried to bide her time by helping around the apartment, though she was quickly done with everything before lunch, and even trips around Vale became boring and repetitive.

Ruby tried her best to try to find something to do with her days. She had just finished school at Signal when she moved out, so she tried to focus on that. Though no matter what she did, she couldn't find a subject that would interest her enough to sit down and learn about. Instead, she tried to find a job, and a rather promising offer came to her quickly.

A woman by the name of Cinder Fall presented Ruby with the opportunity to work in her store. After a brief discussion with Yang, Ruby accepted the offer, and began to work for the clothing store Fall Maiden.

Ruby was happy working there for several months. It gave her something to do during the day, and a little extra spending cash that she could pool with Yang's income. Ruby didn't say anything at the time, but she could tell that it brought a huge weight off her sister's shoulders. During her days at work, she would daydream about the days that were to come. One day, she was so far in her thoughts she almost didn't notice the police raid that made their way into the store, guns raised and shouting commands.

Ruby was caught in the confusion and was arrested with the other staff and the owner. After a very distressing 48 hours, the police deemed Ruby innocent of the ponzi scheme that Cinder had set up and was released into Yang's custody. Once the two got home, they stayed by each other's side for the rest of the day.

After that, Yang became paranoid of any kind of job offer sent Ruby's way. She would scrutinize every single aspect and question the managers to the point that they would relinquish the offer. Eventually, Ruby stopped going out to look for a job altogether, instead staying at home all day. She quickly noticed that Yang was away from home far longer than normal. She didn't want to talk to her sister about it, but once she overheard the conversation between Yang and their landlord about a lack of rent money, she knew that whatever Yang was doing wasn't enough. Not anymore.

Ruby eventually made her way to the apartment she and her sister called home and climbed the stairs to the second floor. She unlocked the door and made her way inside, closing it behind her. She turned around and leaned back against the door. After a deep breath, she made her way further into the apartment and threw the folder with her last resume on the coffee table.

She then stepped into the kitchen and quickly looked around for something to make for dinner. According to the clock on the stove, it was just past five o'clock, though Ruby guessed that her sister wouldn't be home for another six hours. That being said, she still wanted to be there for Yang, even if it was in the form of a kind note and a lukewarm meal waiting for her after Ruby was already asleep.

The rest of the night was uneventful, as Ruby quickly made dinner, saving some for Yang, then watched TV until she finally made her way to bed. She felt exhausted after running around Vale and only meeting rejection and fell asleep quickly.

Though the peaceful sleep didn't last as she felt herself being shaken awake. She awoke with a start, unsure of what was going on, but calmed down when she recognized her sister's blonde hair.

"Yaaang," Ruby whined as she laid back down on the top bunk.

"Hey sis, sorry to wake you, but I have something I wanted to talk to you about." Yang said in an unusually serious voice.

Ruby picked up on it instantly and sat up again, looking at her sister. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

Yang flashed a smile before turning around and heading out of the bedroom, "Come on, it'll be better to talk on the couch."

Ruby stifled a groan and nimbly jumped from her bed and followed her sister to the living room. When she turned the corner out of the room, she saw Yang with a folder in her hands. Ruby's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the folder with her resume in it.

"Yang, hang on just a second, I can explain that," She said.

Yang couldn't contain her laugh as she sat down on the couch, using her free hand to signal her sister closer. Ruby hesitantly made her way around the couch and sat down as well.

"Ruby," Yang said in a soft voice.

"Yang, I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me. I know that you're worried about me, especially about what happened with Fall Maiden, and I totally agree with you," Ruby said quickly

"Ruby."

"I know, you want to be involved in my job decision, and I know you want to protect me. You've always protected me, and you've been the best sister ever when it comes to my safety and wellbeing."

"Ruby!"

"But Yang, you have to know that you can't support us both on your own. I know you've been trying so hard to be strong for me, but there's a point where you're pushing yourself too far, and I know that I can help if someone would give me a chance."

Yang's arms shot out and grabbed her sister's shoulders, silencing her immediately. "Ruby, I'm not mad at you."

Ruby's look of panic slowly changed to confusion, "You aren't? Then what did you want to talk to me about?"

Yang smiled brightly, "I got you a job."

The room was silent for a moment until Ruby finally spoke, "What?"

Yang managed to suppress her laughter this time, if only barely. "I know that you're worried about me, and I know you overheard the conversation with the landlord. In truth, I've had to get a second job to try to help, but it seems it isn't enough. But good luck seems to be shining down on us, since my boss at Clockworks recently fired eight associates today.

"What!?" Ruby yelped as her hands rose to her mouth in surprise.

"I know, right?" Yang said, "So I talked with my boss today, and I brought up that I knew someone who would be able to help fill out the roster. After a little back and forth, I set up an interview for you tomorrow at three."

"An interview?" Ruby said, her eyes widening at the realization.

"Yup, my boss is desperate, though she won't admit it." Yang said, looking into her sister's silver eyes for her reaction.

Ruby slowly started to smile as she reached out and brought her sister into a hug. "Thank you, Yang. This means a lot to me."

Yang returned the hug and sat with her sister for a couple seconds. "I know it means you'll have to work with me, but that just helps me make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"I wouldn't ask for anything more," Ruby tightened her hold on Yang, Not wanting to let go.

The two only stayed for another moment before they both went to bed, exhaustion prevalent on Yang's face from her long day. As Ruby settled down for bed, her mind was racing at the opportunity presented to her. She was both excited and afraid of the interview the next day. She had seen Clockworks, and had visited while Yang was working, but the thought of being able to work with her sister made her giddy with anticipation.

It took her a while, but Ruby was eventually able to sleep.

* * *

Ruby was pacing the floor of her apartment. It was just past noon and she was dressed with her folder in her hand, ready for her interview. Now it only took thirty minutes to get to Clockworks, but Ruby wanted to be ready. And so, once she got up, mentally prepared herself for the day, and picked out the perfect outfit, she was ready to set out.

That had been an hour ago, and Ruby had been unsure of what to do since. She could go to Clockworks early, look around the store, maybe talk to her sister if it was slow. But, seeing as it was the holiday season and Clockworks was anything but slow this time of year, Ruby didn't want to get in the way or inconvenience anyone. That would be quite the first impression.

Another thing Ruby could do was walk around Vale, though that posed problems of its own. What if she got herself dirty, completely ruining her look before the interview. She couldn't show up like that. Or what if she was lost, or so caught up in something else that she couldn't make the deadline in time. She knew they were desperate, but she didn't want to look completely incapable before even opening her mouth to stumble over her words.

These thoughts and more rushed through Ruby's head and she groaned before settling down on the couch and looking at the clock. It read 12:30, meaning that she was closer to her fate. Before she could think any further on that, she reached for the remote and turned the TV on, hoping something mindless would help calm her down. So long as she remained vigilant in her efforts to stay on time, she figured she could try to relax for a few minutes.

As the minutes ticked on, Ruby became increasingly restless to the point that she started to pace the floor again, keeping a stern gaze on the clock until it read 1:00. She let out a fierce groan as she realized her failed attempt to relax and nearly collapsed back down on the couch.

"Gah, at this point I'm going to be so tired I'll probably fall asleep at the interview. Or maybe I'll just be a jittering mess and be unable to speak at all. Besides, what if my bad behavior reflects poorly on Yang! I can't have that!" Ruby groaned again as she covered her face with her hands.

After a few seconds, she lifted herself back up and stood poised. "No, Ruby, you're going to go to this interview and you are going to rock it. No questions asked." And with those words of encouragement hanging in her head, she made her way out the front door.

Ruby decided that, no matter the consequences, she would arrive at Clockworks early and hope for the best. There were plenty of places to sit calmly and wait, even if she doubted she could bring herself to do that. Not only that, but she could refamiliarize herself with the layout of the store. Maybe introduce herself to the employees that were working. Either way, it was better than staying at home and pacing back and forth for another hour.

Once she was officially on her way to her interview, she strangely felt calm. She took in the cool breeze and the feel of the holidays around her. Now that she had a somewhat clearer mind, she decided to walk slow and take in the sights and sounds around her.

For the first time this holiday season, she felt herself in awe of everything around her. The sounds of classic holiday songs and children laughing, and the sights of bright lights and smiles dazzled her as she made her way down the streets.

Looking up, she marveled at the decorations hung around the buildings, but failed to notice the woman stepping in front of her. The sudden impact of the two caught them both off guard, sending both of them to the ground and the other girl's book flying out of her hands.

As the stars started to clear from Ruby's eyes, she looked at the person she ran into. Her long dark hair with a matching black bow was the first thing she noticed. What followed next were piercing amber eyes and bared teeth as Ruby quickly realized this woman was now angry at her.

Before she could snap however, Ruby quickly scrambled to her feet and made her way over to the woman she crashed into. "Oh, oh no, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I didn't mean to bump into you and slam you to the ground like that I swear it was an accident and I hope you don't hate me for this…"

As Ruby continued to ramble on with her apology, she helped the other woman to her feet and tried to dust her off. This received a mixed reaction as the raven haired girl was unsure of what was going on.

After she took a few seconds to regain herself, she spoke. "Please, just stop. I forgive you," She said quickly, trying to politely swipe Ruby's hands away. She then quickly looked towards the ground around herself. She began to spin around desperately, trying to find something.

"W-What are you looking for?" Ruby asked as she tried to follow the amber eye's gaze.

The woman stopped spinning and looked towards Ruby. "Before we collided, I was reading a book. I can't find it now." She then began looking again, taking cautious steps to expand her search.

Ruby immediately followed suit and helped the new mysterious woman find the book she had caused to go missing in the first place. Taking a step back, she then felt a weight crashing onto her head. The unexpected force caused Ruby to fall to the ground once again, this time with a rather large hardcover book resting next to her.

The fall didn't go unnoticed by the woman as she turned and saw the strange situation before her. She then looked up and noticed that they were standing under an awning and the book, after it flew out of her hands, had landed on it and slid down onto Ruby's head.

After realizing what had happened, she then made her way to Ruby's side and helped her up, making sure to grab her book and keep it close. After Ruby was standing once again, she shook her head to try to clear the pain.

"Sorry," the woman said, trying to discreetly check Ruby for any serious injury.

"Oh, no worries," Ruby said, chuckling off the pain. "Payback, I guess."

"That's not quite how that works," the woman said. "To be honest, I wasn't quite looking where I was going either. Are you ok?"

Ruby smiled brightly, "I'm good to go!"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle, "Quite the optimist, aren't you?"

"Yup!" Ruby said triumphantly, then quickly became self conscious. "Is that a bad thing?"

The woman smiled and shook her head, "No, just rare," she said as she subconsciously held her book closer.

Ruby noticed the book in her hands and nodded towards it. "Is it any good?" Ruby asked.

The woman was silent for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah, I was so engrossed that the world just faded out."

Ruby sighed blissfully, "I love it when books can do that."

"Do you read too?" The woman asked, a small glimmer in her eye.

Ruby blushed and looked away, "Yeah, but the books I read tend to be a little more childish. The good guy always wins and the world is saved."

The woman smiled even brighter, "Well, that's the great thing about books. They can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter how childish they may seem. Because, at the end of the story, they always bring out something more in us."

Ruby couldn't help but stare in admiration. "That's the most beautiful way I've heard anyone describe books." It was the woman's turn to blush and look away, though she quickly focused back when she noticed a hand extended out to her. "Ruby Rose."

"Blake Belladonna," she said as she accepted the handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Ruby said as she brought her hand back and reached into her pocket. She grabbed her scroll and looked at the time, noticing that it was almost 2:30. She then started to panic, shoving the scroll back into her pocket. "Hey, it's super cool meeting you, but I've gotta go. I have an interview in a half hour and I don't want to be late.

Before Ruby could take a step, Blake reached out and grabbed her arm. "Interview? Where? I'm actually looking for a job as well."

Ruby smiled, "It's at Clockworks. Apparently one of their managers went on a firing spree, so now they're desperate for help. You should apply."

"I suppose I will," Blake said with a smile. "I won't keep you any longer. Good luck on your interview."

"You too!" Ruby said as she dashed off down the road.

Blake watched as she turned the corner, then shrugged as she continued on her way.

* * *

 **A/N:** You can tell a man wrote this because I decided to include pockets on a woman, something that doesn't exist in the real world. I can dream, though.

Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Got some backstory on Ruby and Yang, but don't worry, there's more to come.

In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you would Fave, Follow, and Review. It could bring me some luck on my first day at a new job.

-MM


	4. Chapter 4

Skidding to a halt, Ruby had managed to make it to Clockworks with twenty minutes to spare. Taking an extra second to calm down her breathing and look a little more presentable, she made her way up to the front door and inside. When she first stepped in, she instinctively made her way to the dust section, taking a shortcut through various aisles to get there. Once she saw the dust counter and her sister's recognizable blonde hair, she could feel herself relax a little bit.

She wound past a few customers and made her way to the counter, watching her sister work with one person after another. It didn't take long for Yang to notice her sister standing there, but with the crowd around, she simply gave a smile and a wave before continuing to the next patient customer.

Ruby smiled back before stepping away and looking around the store. She could see customers everywhere around Clockworks, shopping for just the thing they needed. She couldn't help but watch the organized chaos, though distinct white hair stood out through it all.

The woman in question made a beeline to the dust department, easily working her way to the counter and getting Yang's attention. The two briefly exchanged words before Yang pointed towards Ruby. Ruby gave a friendly wave when the white haired woman turned to look. She then turned back to confirm with Yang, but she was already assisting the next customer.

Ruby could see the woman sigh as she visually straightened herself out before turning fully and walking towards her. Ruby took a few steps to close the gap. The two met together and the white haired woman extended her hand with a serious look on her face.

"Hello, my name is Weiss Schnee, and I'll be a part of your interview," Weiss said.

"Hi, I'm Ruby Rose," Ruby said, trying to sound more confident. She took the extended hand and shook it

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Weiss said, retrieving her hand and gesturing besides her. "I'll lead you to the interview. If you'd follow me." And with that, she turned and made her way through the crowd.

Ruby tried her best to follow her, but there always seemed to be another person between them, making following her that much more difficult. Weiss never made a motion to look behind her, therefore never slowing down. Luckily, it wasn't that far as Weiss lead them to a room off the main store floor. Weiss opened the door and walked in, then held the door open for Ruby.

After successfully dodging the last person, she slid inside the room and looked around. The room was very plain, having bare white walls and a single white table surrounded by three chairs. Positioned on one side was a man with spiky blue hair that stood up when the door opened. The emptiness of the room made Ruby feel uneasy, though she tried to hide it as she noticed another hand extended towards her.

"Hey, the name's Neptune, how are you?" Neptune said.

"Hi, I'm Ruby Rose and, honestly, I'm a little nervous." Ruby said, taking the hand like before.

Neptune let out a laugh with a bright smile on his face, "No need to be nervous, Ruby. Nothing bad is going to happen to you, we're just here to have a little conversation. Talk about you, us, the company, whatever we happen to hit."

Weiss closed the door behind Ruby and made her way next to Neptune. "Well, the first thing we need to look at is your resume."

"Oh, I've got that!" Ruby said as she pulled the folder out and handed it over to Weiss. She took it and opened it, grabbing the resume, and nearly throwing the now empty folder across the table.

"Well, Weiss. You're still quick to the point as always. Come on, Ruby. Have a seat." He gestured to the last chair on the other side of the table.

"Thank you," Ruby said as she took the seat, trying not to take a wrong step and embarrass herself. She sat for a few seconds and watched Weiss scan through her resume, but nearly missed Neptune as he leaned forward on his elbows.

"So, Ruby, how has your day been today?" Neptune began.

"Oh, um, not bad," Ruby said, unsure of what to say. "I kinda paced back and forth for a few hours before coming here. But I got to meet someone new who was interested in applying here."

"Oh really? That's great!" Neptune said, his bright smile still on his face. "What was their name? I'll be sure to look out for them."

"Her name was Blake, and she likes to read." Ruby said as she started to relax.

Though she tensed up again when Weiss put the paper on the table and looked at Neptune. "What does all this matter? Aren't we supposed to be having an interview? This isn't social time."

"That's not quite true," Neptune said, turning to face Weiss. "Interviews are nothing more than great conversations with a purpose. Let's take Ruby's example here." He said turning back to her.

"What about me?" Ruby asked, suddenly self conscious of everything she had said and done.

"Well, Ruby, how long of a conversation did you have with your new friend Blake?" Neptune said.

"Um, only for a couple of minutes. We actually wouldn't have seen each other if we both weren't paying attention to where we were going and bumped into each other," Ruby said.

"And how much do you know about her?" Neptune said.

"Well," Ruby began, "I know that she really likes to read. She had a book with her when we hit. She's also protective. She immediately looked for her book after I helped her up and keeping it close once she had it back. She also cares, but doesn't actively show it. Once the book fell on my head, she tried to help me up again. We also talked about books and she said the most beautiful thing that I've ever heard." Ruby's speech became more jumbled and rushed as she continued.

"Alright, I think we get the point," Neptune said playfully. He then turned back to Weiss, "See that? An unfortunate accident turning to friends through a great conversation."

Weiss sighed as she crossed her arms, "Alright, we can do things your way."

"Thank you," Neptune said as he picked up the resume from the table and began looking at it. After a moment, he looked back up at Ruby, "Your resume tells quite a story, though there's some missing time here and there. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Ruby looked between Weiss and Neptune before giving a small smile. "Sure, I guess."

"Great, now what brings you to Vale to begin with?" Neptune said.

"Oh, well two years ago, right after I graduated from Signal, my sister wanted me to move out with her here to Vale. She thought that the two of us could take on the big city together. After that, we moved to a new apartment and did our best," Ruby said, remembering back to the fateful day.

"Well that's definitely the start of a great story," Neptune said as he looked back down at the resume in front of him. "So then I'm guessing there was a little down time before your employment at Fall Maiden?"

"Uh, yeah, we initially tried to get used to the new rhythm, but I was bored most days. I couldn't find anything interesting to do, so I decided to get a job. Fall Maiden just happened to be the first place I found that wanted me." Ruby said, worried about the next question that she knew they would ask.

"That's respectable. How was working at Fall Maiden? Was it like what you've seen here?" Neptune asked.

"No, not quite, "Ruby said softly. "The work there was fine, it was something to do and made some extra money for me and my sister."

"Oh, well then why did you leave?" Neptune asked, general curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well…" Ruby paused for a few moments before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "I was forcibly removed from Fall Maiden by a police raid. The owner was apparently running a ponzi scheme, and I happened to be caught up in the mess. I was in jail for two days before they learned that I had nothing to do with it and released me." Ruby kept still for a few moments, hoping that her explanation was enough to properly explain the situation.

Once she opened her eyes, she saw Neptune leaning back for the first time the whole interview and both him and Weiss with shocked looks on their faces.

Neptune leaned forward again and cleared his throat to compose himself. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't know, and I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

Ruby gave a small smile, "Thank you. I hope that this doesn't disqualify me for the job."

Neptune smiled bright once again, "Of course not. You were innocent, so we have no reason to think that you'd do anything wrong."

Ruby smiled wider, though when she locked eyes with Weiss, she saw that her eyes had softened ever so slightly. It only lasted for a second before she wrapped her arms in front of her once again.

"Thank you," Ruby said. "Ever since then, my sister has been really protective of me. She's been paranoid that another job will be just as bad at that, if not worse. The fact that she could get me this job is a big help."

"Hang on," Weiss said as she sat forward, peering towards Ruby. "Did you say that your sister is the one that set you up with this interview?"

Ruby nodded slowly, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

Weiss looked Ruby up and down, taking in every detail she could. After a few moments, and a few shushes towards Neptune, she finally spoke. "How is Yang your sister?"

"Oh, you didn't know Yang was my sister?" Ruby asked.

"All I knew was that Yang had a sister, though not much about her." Weiss said, continuing to look Ruby up and down. "How are you and Yang related?"

"That's actually a really long story." Ruby began, looking away from the two on the other side of the table. "The short version is that we're half sisters that share a dad."

Weiss took another moment to look at her before settling back in her seat.

Neptune looked between the two quizzically before clearing his throat once again. "Well, this has been a rather informative conversation. Ruby, are there any questions you would like to ask us?"

Ruby finally looked back at the two of them, but before she could respond, her stomach growled. "Oh, uh, I guess when I was pacing the floor before the interview I forgot to eat." She said with a small chuckle and pink cheeks.

"No worries, do you know where the food court is?" Neptune asked.

"Yeah, I've been there a few times when visiting Yang on break or after a shift, but I don't really have a lot of money." Ruby said.

"Here." Ruby looked over to see that Weiss was holding something out in her hand. It took Ruby a moment to recognize that it was an employee meal ticket.

"F-for me?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. I liked your story, and I've been working here with your sister since she first started." Weiss said.

Ruby hesitantly took the ticket and put it in her pocket, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Weiss said.

"Anything else we can help you with?" Neptune asked

Ruby thought for a moment, but could only think of one thing to ask. "Do you two like working here?"

Weiss visually stiffened at the question, though Neptune immediately jumped to his answer. "Oh, I really like working here. The atmosphere and customers make it all worthwhile. And the man who opened the store, Mr. Ozpin, is a really great guy. Overall, I'm thankful of my three years here."

Both Ruby and Neptune turned to Weiss to get her answer. Once she noticed they were both looking at her, she snapped out of her thoughts and focused back on the conversation. "Yes, I like working here as well. Neptune couldn't have said it better."

Ruby nodded, accepting the answers she got. She tried to think for another moment, but couldn't come up with another question. "Um, I can't really think of another question. I've been here so many times I feel I already know where everything is. Plus, I've watched Yang work, so I think I know how everything should work."

"That's excellent to hear!" Neptune said as he stood up, Ruby and Weiss following behind. "Well then, I think that just about wraps up the interview. There's still some more paperwork that needs to be filled out, like an actual application, but I think that should be easy enough."

Ruby smiled wide and she could feel her entire body relax from unfelt tension. "Thank you so much. I'm really glad you took the time to talk with me."

"It was a pleasure," Neptune said, reaching out his hand once again.

Ruby took it and shook it once again, then redirected her hand to Weiss. She took it as well with a small smile on her face. The two exchanged a small nod and Neptune stepped around the table and held the door open. Ruby waved a final goodbye and left the small room, making her way to the dust section in hopes of catching Yang before she left.

Neptune closed the door behind Ruby and looked back at Weiss. Weiss was in the middle of taking a step towards the exit before nearly freezing in her spot.

"What's this, Neptune?" Weiss asked, unable to suppress the fear in her voice.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to go over the interview with you and talk about what all happened." Neptune said quickly, throwing his hands in the air.

"Oh, sure." Weiss said, her heart starting to calm down.

"So, what do you think of Ms. Ruby Rose?" Neptune said as he took a step towards the table, his hands in his pockets.

"Well, she definitely had quite the story to tell, but the sudden news of her relationship with Yang did throw me off." Weiss said as she straightened herself out.

"Yeah, me too. Though that connection could prove beneficial. You heard her, she felt pretty confident about this job," Neptune said

"That is true," Weiss said thoughtfully. "Her attitude towards the company is positive, and she has had previous work experience, so she has an idea of what she's getting into."

"All very good points, Weiss," Neptune said. "But do you think that we should hire her."

"You want me to decide now?" Weiss asked.

"Well, first impressions mean a lot. If we take too long to think about it, she could look like a piece of dirt and we could miss the dust inside the rough." Neptune said.

Weiss narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms once again. "Alright, if you want my opinion, I think we should hire her."

"Good to know you're on board too," Neptune said. He started to turn towards the door, but stopped and looked back at Weiss. "Do you want to tell her she's hired, or should I?"

"What?" Weiss asked.

Neptune chuckled before responding, "Well, the sooner we get her in and trained the better. Besides, it'll be easy to train her. Just put her with Yang in your department. She can run the entire department's show floor by herself, having Ruby there shouldn't slow her down. After a month, she'll be cleared to work on her own."

Weiss thought over this proposition, "Well, if she's going to be in my department and I'll be her boss, then I guess I should give her the good news."

"Excellent decision," Neptune said as he opened up the door and held it open for Weiss. "One question, though."

"Oh? And what is that?" Weiss asked in the door frame.

"You've worked with Yang longer. I started in the men's department and only came around during breaks or when it was slow," Neptune said. "You really didn't learn anything specific about her sister?"

Weiss scoffed and made her way towards the food court in the hopes of catching their newest employee.

* * *

Ruby eventually navigated her way to the food court. She had just missed Yang who was on her way to her next job, though she sent a message to let her know the interview was done. After that, she looked at the massive section around her.

The food court was exactly as she remembered it, though had festive holiday decorations to bring out the season. She quickly made her way through and was able to get a relatively cheap burger and fries. It may have been a free meal from Yang's boss, but she didn't want to stretch the limits of her kindness.

She was able to find a small table all to herself and had settled down before she saw the familiar white hair again. Weiss seemed to be looking for someone, though the question of who was answered when the two locked eyes and she made a beeline towards Ruby.

Weiss was only a few steps away before she looked at the food choice in front of her and she grimaced. She took the final step and said, "That's what you decided to get with the free meal?"

"Oh, uhh, yeah?" Ruby said. "It was one of the cheapest items on the menu. It was really kind what you did, and I didn't want to impose too much."

Weiss was still for a moment, then took a seat. "Either way, your food decisions aren't why I'm here. I came to find you to offer you a position, if you'd like."

It was Ruby's turn to freeze as she took in what was just said. "Wait, I'm… I was hired?"

"Yes, we liked what you had to say so much that, without further delay, we would hire you." Weiss said.

She waited for Ruby's decision, but wasn't expecting the forceful hug she got, nearly tipping the entire chair over and spilling them out onto the ground. Weiss' ears were bombarded with quick and continuous squeals of 'Thank you's and her cheeks burned crimson at the sudden contact as she flailed around slightly to try to keep her balance. It took her a minute, but she was eventually able to wrestle Ruby off of her.

"Ok, Ruby. I understand you're happy, but please sit back down." Ruby did as she was asked. "There are still a few details we need to work out, but we'll let you know when we have everything in order for your first day."

"Thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!" Ruby said as she started to bounce around in her seat.

Weiss just watched this ecstatic child with one thought running through her mind:

' _Oh no, did I make a mistake?'_

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it. Ruby's been officially hired. Now it's time to see what mischief we can get into.

But we'll save that for another time. In the meantime, don't forget to Fave, Follow, and Review. It'll send your holiday spirits to me and fill me with joy.

-MM


	5. Chapter 5

It's been a week since the first interview. Ruby stood diligently outside of Clockworks. It was her first official day on the job, and she couldn't be less nervous. She took practiced steps to the front of the store and walked in.

Many floors up, Weiss was sat in her office looking out her window over all of Vale. It was her first orientation of the week. She took a deep breath and left her office, making her way downstairs to greet the first new employee.

The two met at the dust department counter at 8:30 to start the process. Weiss was internally grateful that Ruby was familiar with the store and the position thanks to her sister's influence, though she knew that, while this would be the easiest one of the many orientations she had for the week, it would do nothing to help prepare her for what was to come.

Yang dutifully greeted Ruby at the counter with a powerful hug, though quickly backed off when she saw Weiss staring at the both of them. Once she was convinced the two would start the training process, she quickly departed and made her way to the elevator to return to her office.

Once the elevator doors opened, she recognized the blue hair of Neptune on the other side.

"Oh, Weiss, just the person I was coming down to see." Neptune said, walking out of the elevator.

"Me? Why were you coming down to see me?" Weiss asked as she watched the elevator doors close behind him.

"Because Velvet told me you were handling the orientation for Ruby. Is it done already?" Neptune asked.

"Well, yes it is, actually. I decided to forgo the tour seeing as she already knows the show floor, and Yang can show her the employee area on break or after work." Weiss said as she tried to politely sidestep Neptune and push the call button again.

"Oh, umm, I suppose that'll work. But don't you think you might be slacking on Ozpin's orders a little bit?" Neptune said.

Weiss paused mid reach for the button and looked at him confused. She then straightened out and her gaze grew more harsh. "What is that supposed to mean? I've done my part of the workload and we haven't even been open for an hour. In fact, I feel I've been quite generous. Yang should be getting a break in an hour like always, and her shift ends at three. I feel that leaves adequate time for the two to get the groundwork down."

"I suppose," Neptune began, "though I could use a hand with the next task."

"Oh, and what is that?" Weiss asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Neptune lifted a folder in his hands with a chipper smile on his face. "We had that rescheduled orientation day, and it just so happens that they were free today. I hope that's no issue to you."

"What!?" Weiss nearly screamed.

"Don't you remember? We talked about this a few days ago," Neptune said, slightly taken aback by the sudden noise.

Weiss quietly groaned as the memory came back to her. The hectic week of HR meetings had thrown her normally neat schedule into a downward spiral. She was still able to complete her work, but the added stress and the constant thought of Cardin Winchester around every corner had made her uncharacteristically unorganized.

"Alright, I can do this." Weiss whispered to herself. "Ok, I'll handle to orientation for the new employee if you want to catch up with Ruby."

"That sounds like a good plan," Neptune said, handing the folder to Weiss. "Her name is Blake, and from my understanding she's really into books. I was gonna put her in the Women's section, though the multimedia department might better fit her. You can make the call."

"Sounds easy enough," Weiss said as she walked with Neptune out of the back area. "So where were you meeting Blake?"

"She should be at the food court. You should find a black bow popping out from behind a book." Neptune said, making his way towards the Dust section. "Good luck!"

"Hmm, I don't need luck," Weiss said as she made her way to the food court.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked the bobbing bow spotted behind a book.

The book dropped and Weiss was met with quizzical eyes. "Can I help you?"

"I sure hope you can. I'm Weiss Schnee, head of the Dust department, and I'm here to guide you through your orientation. You are Blake… Belladonna?" She asked, opening the folder to confirm the name.

"Oh, yes I am." Blake said, closing the book and rising from her seat. "Sorry, I didn't know to expect you. I was waiting for Neptune."

"He's currently preoccupied with another orientation to come, so we decided to split up responsibilities. But don't worry, I'm just as qualified," Weiss lied with a smile on her face to help sell it.

Blake seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but nodded her head in understanding. "You guys are short on staff, so I understand."

"Perfect," Weiss said, turning away, "follow me."

The two made their way through the store, Weiss pointing out the departments as they went. When they passed by Neptune at the Dust department, Blake caught Ruby's eye between customers. She watched Ruby wave enthusiastically at her, and she couldn't help but smile and wave back.

Weiss saw this and eyed Blake suspiciously, but decided not to question it. It seemed Ruby knew everyone. Or was this the girl she had mentioned in her story?

The tour continued on as usual until Neptune caught up with them.

"Hello Blake, Weiss, sorry to keep you both waiting for me." Neptune said as he fell into stride.

"No worries, we weren't waiting," Weiss said.

"Well, good to hear," Neptune said. "And how is the tour, Blake? Do you have any questions or doubts?" He saw Weiss shoot him a glare, but didn't react to it.

"Oh, no. I just have to familiarize myself with the layout, but I'm fine for now." Blake said.

"Excellent, I believe that only makes one thing left to do," Neptune said.

"Yes, placement," Weiss said as she stopped and spun to fully face Blake. "We'll be putting you with a trainer in the Women's section. I hope you remember where that is?"

"Yes," Blake said, turning her head to the approximate direction of her new job. "Should be just over there, correct?"

"That it is," Neptune said. "It's near where I started off when I first got here, so I can tell you that you'll love it."

"Exactly," Weiss said. "You'll be meeting with Reese. She should know you're coming."

"Sounds great," Blake said.

"Well, it's my job to make sure you're all set up with your trainer, so I'll walk you over there. I'm sure Weiss has to get back to her work," Neptune said.

"Yes, I very much do," Weiss said. "Now if you'll excuse me." And with that, Weiss made her way to her office and shut herself in.

* * *

 **A/N:** A shorter chapter this time, but that means that the next chapter gets to be that much longer. That, and this was a good break point to set up what'll happen in the next chapter. And man is that a fun one. The next two are actually pretty good, and then we get to move on to Ladybug!

But that's getting too far ahead of myself, seeing as I haven't written that yet. Nevertheless, expect some crazy shenanigans to go down over the next few chapters. I'm excited.

So please don't forget to Fave, Follow, and Review to show me how excited you are for the build up that's about to happen.

-MM


	6. Chapter 6

_Knock knock knock_

"Come in," Weiss said. The door to her office slowly opened and Velvet poked her head in. "What do you need, Velvet?"

"Sorry Ms. Schnee, but I was just wondering if you need anything from me," Velvet said softly.

"No, I do not need anything right now," Weiss said as she waved her hand to dismiss her and focused back on her work.

"Oh, um, then, uh…"

"What is it Velvet?" Weiss said.

"Oh, well… I was just wondering that... if you don't need anything else for the night... then may I go home?" Velvet replied.

"Go home?" Weiss asked as she looked for any place to show the time.

"It's almost ten, Ms. Schnee." Velvet said.

"Well then, I suppose I have no more need for you today, Velvet," Weiss said.

Velvet gave a small smile, "Thank you, Ms. Schnee. Goodnight!"

Weiss only responded with a hum before the door closed and she was alone in her office once more.

Now that she was out of the focus of her work, she could feel the strain she had put her body through. She didn't stop to eat either lunch or dinner, and the lack of movement left her legs weak. Her fingers had begun to cramp a while ago, but had since been numbed as her mind had forced them onward.

She took a moment and released a long sigh, leaning back in her chair, and spinning around to look out the window behind her. She looked out over the city of Vale, the many lights sparkling in the night. She forced her legs to support her as she stood up and took a step towards the glass. She then looked straight down and waited until she saw Velvet leaving and walking on her way.

She gave another deep breath as she turned and looked back at her desk and the clutter of work she still had to do. Scattered pages and mismatched forms littered her work area and the sight of it started to give her a headache.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax her body before setting out trying to clean and clear her desk. It was late enough, and she had done enough.

It took about a half an hour to get her desk back to the way she liked it, and with a smile on her face, she grabbed her coat and made her way out of her office, turning off the lights as she went.

She made her way down the elevator and through the employee section before finding the back door out. Before she pushed her way through however, she made sure she was set to go. She buttoned up her coat, wrapped up her scarf, and pulled on her gloves, double checking herself to make sure she was ready.

She pushed open the door and a sudden blast of cold air rushed in, nearly knocking her off balance. She was able to force her way out, but the gusting winds didn't seem to die down. Not only that, but snow had started to fall, whipping flakes into her face.

She marched her way to the main street in front of Clockworks and looked around, but she couldn't see any public transportation. No taxis, no bus, not even a personal horse drawn carriage to help get her home any faster.

Though Weiss was used to this by now. With Ozpin's added responsibility, her time in her office after hours seemed to double. She recently found herself having to walk back, though not once did she have to do it in this frigid of temperature before.

Weiss wrapped her arms around herself and kept her head down to try to preserve as much heat as possible. She then started out on the increasingly familiar path back to her place.

In the cold air, she had little to try to distract herself from her freezing limbs except to retreat into her own mind. So she began to think. Her first thoughts drifted to work as the remains of what she had just put away was looming in her mind. She then thought about the added pressure from the new employee orientations. She was done with two in the same day, but that still left the other six staggered throughout the next week.

She then spotted something move from the corner of her eye and Weiss' focus jerked up next to her. She saw a person coming down an alleyway straight towards her. Her heart dropped and fear froze any part of her body that wasn't already exposed to the elements. Her senses went into overdrive as the mysterious figure grew closer. They were larger than her, and imposing. Their hands were buried deep in their pockets, but she couldn't see anything distinct.

Her mind immediately flashed to one person: Cardin Winchester. A single tear welled up in her eye as she tried to face the reality she saw in front of her. ' _This is it. This is how I die. He's going to take everything from me like I did to him and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm dead, I'm gone, and I haven't even done anything with my life.'_

Her jumbled thoughts continued until the person finally reached her and slowly came to a stop. The figure stood for a moment, the two staring at each other, until the mysterious person finally removed their hands from their pockets.

Weiss flinched and closed her eyes, ready for whatever Cardin had in store for her and hoping he would at least be merciful.

"Weiss?"

Weiss jerked away for a moment before recognizing the voice. She opened her eyes and turned her head to find the hood down and long, brilliantly blonde hair wrapped in a ponytail.

"Yang!?" Weiss said in disbelief as her entire body tried to process.

"Weiss what are you doing all the way out here? Are you on a pleasure stroll through a blizzard?" Yang asked.

"I doing? The way out… What!?" Weiss asked as she looked around herself, trying to get a grip on both her bearings in the city and her grip on reality.

Yang's eyes then grew curious and her motherly instincts started to kick in. "Weiss, what's wrong? What happened to you?"

It took Weiss another moment to realize that in her attempt to distract herself from the cold, she had managed to make a wrong turn and end up no closer to her home. Weiss took a deep breath to stabilize herself before she began. "Well, It appears that I've made a wrong turn and ended up in a different part of town. Not only that, but your imposing and threatening entrance made me think that I was going to die. So thanks for that."

"Oh, um, sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just on my way home," Yang said.

"Well, as was I, but now it seems my destination is further than I thought. If you'll excuse me, I must get home." Weiss said as she turned around and walked back the way she came.

"Do you need an escort home?" Yang offered as she caught up with her boss.

"And why do I need that?" Weiss replied.

"Well, first of all you got lost, and second of all, I scared you to death," Yang said. "At least let me do this to pay you back for the second part."

Weiss stopped and spun around, "And what about you? How will I know that you made it home safe after you leave me?"

"Because I have a sister that depends on me to get home to her." Yang replied.

Weiss was silent for a moment, but the cold was seeping into her coat. And so, not wanting to argue any more, she beckoned Yang along. "Alright, I suppose."

A small smile appeared on Yang's lips for a moment before she fell into stride with her boss.

The walk was pretty quiet, not counting the now howling wind. The snow also grew larger and denser, and soon it became hard for the two of them to see more than a few yards in front of them.

Yang brought her arm around Weiss and held her close, both trying to preserve heat and keep her from blowing away. Weiss initially thought to reject the gesture, but decided against it. The warmth that the two were able to keep together was far better than the cold. Not only that, but the arm wrapped around her made her feel safe and protected. Even in the blizzard around them, her mind was far more at ease now than in the past few months.

The minutes seemed to drag on as their progress was slow, but the two eventually made their way to Weiss' street. It took almost everything they had left to drag themselves up the front steps of Weiss' home and even longer as she fumbled for the keys to her home. Once the door was unlocked and opened, the two nearly threw themselves into the shelter, nearly forgetting to close the door behind them.

Weiss and Yang were silent in the single floor house as Weiss set about starting her dust powered fireplace to try to heat the living room. She then quickly made her way to a thermometer and adjusted the temperature. After that, she went to a linen closet and grabbed a pair of blankets.

Yang simply stood in the entryway, unsure of what to do or say. Just simply being out of the wind was enough to satisfy her, but she did have to admit that the added heat sources were very nice. But once she saw Weiss returning with the blankets and setting them on the couch, she quickly shook her head.

"Oh no no, there's no need to worry about those. I really should be getting back home." Yang started to turn, but a strong grip on her shoulder stopped her short.

"No, Yang. You are not going back out in that weather. You could very well die!" Weiss said.

Yang gave a prideful smile, "I'll be fine, Weiss." Yang gripped the doorknob, but Weiss kept a strong hold on her.

"I told you, you aren't going back out there. There's no discussion." Weiss then pulled Yang's arm and dragged her further into the house.

Yang reluctantly let herself be carried away if only because the feeling of warmth was so tempting. "Weiss, I have to get back home to Ruby," Yang whined as she was lead to a living room.

"No. Now strip," Weiss said authoritatively as she set the blankets on the couch and began to take off her coat.

"Woah, what?" Yang asked, suddenly very self conscious of her surroundings.

"Take off your coat and any other outerwear past your normal clothing." Weiss commanded as she carefully laid her coat on the mantle near the fireplace to get dry.

"Look, Weiss, I appreciate the gesture, I really do, but I have to get home." Yang said as she made her way back towards the front door.

"Yang, no. Please," Weiss said as she followed her guest. "I cannot allow you to go back out there in this blizzard under any circumstances."

Yang reached for the doorknob, but stopped short when Weiss stood between her. "Weiss?"

"Look," Weiss said, "I know this isn't where you want to be stranded for the night. You have your reasons for wanting to get home, and I'm sorry for keeping you. It was probably inconvenient that I was the one who you had to bump into and escort back home."

"Weiss, that's not-"

"But," Weiss interrupted, "that doesn't mean that you can just be reckless and try to fight your way through this blizzard by yourself."

The two looked at each other before one finally gave their ground. Yang chuckled as she started taking off her coat. "I suppose I won't be much help to you or Ruby if I die out there."

Weiss smiled as she took the coat and moved to place it next to her own. She then grabbed the blankets and made her way to the kitchen, beckoning Yang to follow. Yang hit send on her message to Ruby before pocketing her scroll and following.

The two stepped into the kitchen area and Weiss directed her guest to a seat at a small round table that wasn't occupied by counters, cabinets, or appliances. She then set one of the blankets on the table and handed the other to Yang who wrapped herself up and sat down.

"Would you like something to drink?" Weiss asked as she pulled two mugs from a cabinet.

"Um, sure, whatcha got?" Yang questioned.

"Do you like hot cocoa?" Weiss moved to the fridge and opened it up.

"I sure do," Yang said, letting a smile form on her face.

"Perfect," Weiss said, pulling out a carton of milk, "I've got just the drink for you." She placed the carton on the counter and reached into the fridge again. The next thing she pulled out was chocolate syrup.

Yang watched as Weiss went about making the drinks. It didn't take long, but Yang could smell the heated milk and it made her want it more. As Weiss carefully stirred the concoction, Yang rose up to help her out.

"Ah, not yet," Weiss said with a sly smile on her face. "There's still more to put into it." She then grabbed the two mugs and carefully made her way out of the kitchen and into another room. "Don't follow me!" She called back.

Yang was left with a quizzical look on her face as she sat down and tried to extend her patience. Past the howling wind, Yang heard the sounds of glass rattling. After another few moments, Weiss returned around the corner with the mugs once again. Yang had learned her lesson and decided to stay seated, though grabbed the extra blanket to clear off the table.

Weiss set the two mugs down on the table and accepted the blanket from Yang before sitting down on the other side of the table. Yang leaned forward and looked at the contents of the container in front of her.

Carefully placed on top were three chocolate marshmallows with chocolate chips inside, all on beautifully fluffy whipped cream. She then noticed the spoon being offered to her by Weiss and gladly accepted.

"Wow, Weiss. This looks professional," Yang said, spooning up a marshmallow with some whipped cream and eating it. "Mmmm," she moaned.

"Just wait until you get to the actual drink," Weiss said as she took a bite herself.

The two then remained silent for a few moments until Yang finally picked up the mug and took a sip of the beverage. The rich taste of cocoa immediately filled her mouth, but past that, she tasted something else. Peppermint flavoring seemed to have been mixed in, contrasting perfectly with the chocolate. However, once she swallowed, she felt the burn of alcohol coursing down her throat.

Yang put the mug down and eyed Weiss suspiciously, though she wasn't even trying to hide the smirk that shone through her face. They both took another sip before anyone said anything.

"So, how do you like the peppermint schnapps?" Weiss asked.

"Couldn't have made it better if I tried," Yang said.

"My sister's tradition after a cold day. She says that it warms you through and through," Weiss said before taking another drink.

The two stayed silent for a few minutes, the blankets keeping in the warmth added by their drinks. The wind continued to howl outside, but they didn't seem to care.

Weiss was the first to finish her drink, setting it down on the table. She kept her head down as she examined the mug, her thoughts elsewhere. Yang followed quickly after.

"Thank you for the drink, Weiss," Yang said.

Weiss was silent, unmoving in her chair.

Yang leaned forward, "Weiss?"

Her head popped up at the recognition of her name. "What is it?" Weiss asked.

"What's up? You spaced out there for a second," Yang said.

"Oh, it's nothing, just have a lot on my mind." Weiss said as she shook her head to clear her mind.

"Is it because of the whole HR thing?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, that's a part of it," Weiss admitted.

"Can I ask about that?" Yang said carefully.

"Well, I guess it isn't really a secret," Weiss began. "I'm almost done with my part of everything. We have a few more potential interviews to get through over the next week and-"

"Oh, Weiss, no, I'm not talking about that," Yang said. "I mean about how this all got started in the first place."

Weiss froze for only a moment before nodding her head, "Oh, yeah, about that."

"I know you have your reasons for firing who you did. If fact, I'm glad you got rid of a particular four of them," Yang said.

"Yeah, it was about time they left," Weiss agreed.

"I just want to know why you did it the way you did. On the show floor, one right after the other, with customers watching. It just doesn't seem like a very smart thing to do. Not a 'Weiss' move to make," Yang said.

Weiss glared at her, "Was that meant to be a pun, Yang Xiao Long?"

"What? No, I…" Yang trailed off as the realization hit her and her eyes widened. "Oh, no no no. I didn't mean that pun. I mean, it was a good one, but totally not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Weiss asked.

"I meant that you have a particular way of doing things. You plan stuff out, you rationalize each decision. You always think critically, not irrationally. This just… wasn't a 'you' thing to do."

Weiss relaxed her glare on Yang before she wrapped her blanket closer to herself. "Yeah, I guess you could say it wasn't something I would normally do."

"I'm just wondering why," Yang asked.

Weiss took a deep sigh before speaking, "Well, it was… an emotional decision. I was on edge, no… I was furious. I'm the youngest department head that this company has had, and I earned my way there. You know from first hand experience. We worked together in that department for years before I got promoted."

"And I say you deserved it," Yang said.

"Thanks for that, but all the other heads can see is some immature and foolish girl who's making them look bad. Like I'm a blemish on their records they're trying to avoid," Weiss said.

"So what happened?" Yang said as she leaned closer.

"Well…" Weiss started slowly, "I had just gotten out of a department head meeting. We have one at least once a month to make sure we're all on the same page and communicating with each other. Not only that, but we also pool together and share ideas that we want to present to Ozpin."

Weiss shifted in her seat, "It seemed to be a normal meeting, we were all going around and sharing what our departments had done. They had gotten through with everyone else, and it was my turn to speak. I gave them my report stating that everything was going well, but that's when they attacked me."

"Attacked you?" Yang asked.

"Not physically," Weiss said. "They said that I had missing product, and that my reports and the company's records didn't match. I stood my ground and told them that it wasn't true. I wasn't stealing dust from the company."

"Of course you weren't, you're the daughter of the head of the largest dust company in the world," Yang said, trying to defend her boss.

"That's what I said," Weiss nearly shouted. "Why would I steal dust? But that wasn't what they were accusing me of. They thought that I was changing the reports to get someone else out of trouble, or as a cover up from theft."

"What?"

"They accused me of letting you get away with theft!" Weiss screamed.

The two were silent for a moment, the news settling in before Yang responded. "What did you say to them?"

"I said it was preposterous for them to think that you of all people would be stealing from Clockworks. I was raving mad, to the point where I almost started shouting out obscenities left and right," Weiss said, trying to control herself. "I wasn't about to let them say those things about my department, about you."

"Weiss."

"I can take it if they tried to come after me, but to target my department?" Weiss said, her voice getting quieter.

"Weiss," Yang stood from her seat and knelt in front of Weiss. "It's ok."

Weiss gave a small smile, "It actually isn't, because I lost my temper in the meeting and left, found the first thing that was out of place, and I went off. I tried to repress my anger in my office, tried to convince myself it was the right thing to do."

Yang put her hands on Weiss' shoulders, one of them absentmindedly rubbing it to comfort her. The two stayed like that for a few minutes until Weiss started to become slack. She began to fall forwards before jerking herself awake.

"Are you ok?" Yang asked, starting to drift off herself.

"I'm fine now, I just need to go to bed." Weiss said as she rubbed one of her eyes.

Yang stood back up and offered a hand, "That does sound nice, doesn't it?"

"Oh, um… I'm really sorry Yang, but I only have one bed," Weiss said as she took the hand and stood.

"That's alright, the couch should-"

*Click*

The front door opened, the much weaker wind blew cold air and loose snow into the opening before it was quickly closed. The two women looked at the door then back to each other. A small shake of Weiss' head was all Yang needed to know as she carefully made her way towards the front.

Yang peered around the corner from the kitchen to the main room to find a person standing in the middle, looking around the room. She shed the blanket from her shoulders and took up a fighting stance. "Hey, who are you?"

The intruder quickly turned around and looked at where the voice had come from. The light was currently off in the room, so Yang couldn't make out any details underneath the coat hood they wore, but that didn't stop her from getting physical.

While Yang took a few cautious steps forward, the intruder wasn't as patient. They came barreling towards Yang. She sidestepped and brought out her foot to trip them and they collapsed to the floor. Yang quickly jammed one knee into their back and grabbed at their head, pinning them to the ground.

"Weiss, get the lights," Yang said as she took off the hood. Once the room was illuminated, they both got a clear look at the intruder. "Cardin?"

"Get off of me!" Cardin shouted as he struggled on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.

"I'm doing to you what you did to me! You stole my life from me, so now I'll steal yours," Cardin continued to squirm under Yang, but to no avail.

"What? You were going to steal from me?" Weiss asked.

"After you fired me, I couldn't find another job!" Cardin sputtered. "I'm about to be thrown out on the streets, so I had to do something."

"Weiss, call the police," Yang said.

"Hang on a second," Weiss responded.

"Weiss."

"Just let me ask one more question," Weiss pleaded.

Yang sighed before relenting, "Alright, you've got one question,"

Weiss walked forward and knelt down, looking into Cardin's eyes as she took a deep breath. She went over her thoughts once again before finally asking, "How much does your rent cost a month?"

"What!?" both Yang and Cardin hollered.

"How much does your rent cost a month?" Weiss repeated.

"650 Lien," Cardin said.

"Alright, hold him right there," Weiss said as she stood and left the room.

"What are you doing?" Yang called out.

"I'm fixing my mistakes," Weiss called back. She reentered the room with a checkbook and a pen. She quickly wrote down in it before ripping it out and folding it up. "Alright Yang, you can let him up."

Yang didn't argue as she removed her weight from his spine and helped him up. Once they were both up, they saw Weiss handing the check over to Cardin.

"What's this, bribe money?" Cardin asked as he took the check.

"It's an apology," Weiss said. "This should get you by for a little while."

Cardin unfolded the check and looked at the amount. He stood slack jawed for a few minutes before curiosity got the better of Yang, who decided to lean over and look at the check herself.

"2,000 Lien!?" Yang cried out.

"It's for you until you can get back on your feet," Weiss said. "This is a one time deal, so take advantage of it."

"Um, yes… Yes ma'am." Cardin stammered.

"Now if you would please leave. I'm very tired and would like to get to bed. I suggest you do the same as well," Weiss said as she she gracefully shooed Cardin out of her house. Once the door closed, she stood there, releasing a long sigh. She turned back to look at Yang who was staring back with confusion all over her face.

"Please… don't read too much into that right now," Weiss pleaded.

"Alright," Yang said, shrugging her shoulders. "Would you like me to leave as well?"

"No no," Weiss said quickly. "I helped the guy, but who knows what would've happened if you weren't here!"

"I'm sure you would've been fine," Yang said as she grabbed the blanket she dropped on the floor.

"I'm sure I would've been killed! Who knows what Cardin is capable of?" Weiss said. "So, for your safety and my well being, you are staying in this house."

"Alright, alright," Yang chuckled at the response. "Just making sure. I'll get comfortable on the couch."

"No!" Weiss nearly shouted, taking a step forward before catching herself. "I mean… I have a better idea."

Before Yang could ask what she meant by that, she was whisked away further into the house. She finally understood where she was being dragged to when a door opened to reveal Weiss' bedroom.

"I'm really sorry Yang, but the situation with Cardin has been freaking me out for weeks. Now with this, I don't think I'll be able to sleep alone tonight," Weiss said as she wrapped her arms around herself defensively

"Soo…" Yang began, trying to choose her words carefully, "you want to sleep with me?"

Yang couldn't hide her smile as Weiss smacked her arm. "Don't say it like that! I just mean that, you know, I'd be more comfortable if I knew you were here beside me."

"Well, how can I say no to a request like that?" Yang questioned.

Weiss didn't have anything for Yang to sleep in, so she decided on the t-shirt she was wearing and her underwear while Weiss kept to her night gown. As the two climbed into the king sized bed, Weiss turned to her guest.

"Um… Yang?"

"Yes, Weiss?"

"How, uh… Where… Where did you learn how to fight?" Weiss finally got out.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"Well, when Cardin came in, you had this fighting stance, and I was just wondering... Where did you get it?" Weiss said out.

"Oh, that?" Yang said. "My dad taught me how to fight at a young age. He wanted to make sure that no matter what happened to me, I would be able to defend myself."

"A very practical man," Weiss said.

"A very protective father, to put it more clearly," Yang said. "My dad didn't want anything bad to happen to me or Ruby. Even if he wasn't there physically, he made sure that he could still help us."

"That's very kind of him," Weiss said as she yawned. "I'm sure he was a great father."

"He really was," Yang said as a smile grew on her lips.

Weiss looked over and grabbed her scroll from her bedside table. She saw that it was well past one O'clock in the morning. "Well, we should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Both Yang and Weiss got comfortable in the massive bed, allowing the many layers of warmth and softness of the bed to ease their bodies. But Weiss' mind was still going into overdrive, her thoughts working through every event that could've gone wrong tonight. She could've been stuck in the blizzard, or been robbed by Cardin. Maybe she would've had to sleep in the office and have to answer an assortment of question from anyone who caught her. As her mind continued to spiral, she felt Yang's hand reaching out and grabbing onto her own. A sudden feeling washed through her body as she griped onto the hand. Her thoughts started to dissipate, and she was calm. With a content smile on her face while holding Yang's hand, she soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Probably one of my favorite chapters to write. Tied very closely with the next one. But here we have it. Backstory on Weiss' decision at the very start of the story, a little Freezerburn fluff (by way of freezing them both), and a little redemption. Top it all off with them both sharing a bed and I'd say I have a recipe for disaster.

Thank you for following this story so far, and I hope you have all enjoyed it. For now, please continue to Fave, Follow, and Review. The thoughts keep my bed warm and my cat content.

 **EDIT:** Reworked the ending and added more to the chapter. Thank you to Gorsouul for calling me out in his review and making me redo the ending. I think it works better and will help with the next chapter and the development of the story. While waiting for the next chapter, go check out Gorsouul's story on his page. It's really getting interesting, so I would highly recommend it.


	7. Chapter 7

Vibrations and noises greeted Weiss when she awoke the next day. She groaned as she reached out her hand and fumbled around for the intruding sound. Once she finally silenced whatever it was, she relaxed back into her bed. "Rude," she muttered.

Quietly, Weiss could barely hear a response to her comment. " _I'mreallysorryIdidn'tmeantowakeyou…"_

Weiss' eyes opened up when she realized what was happening. She sat up and reached for her scroll to answer the call she accidentally accepted. "Velvet?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm really sorry, I didn't want to be rude. I was just simply doing my job." Velvet stammered quickly.

"Woah, hang on. What do you mean 'doing your job?' Weiss asked.

"Well, Ms. Schnee, it's almost 10:30 in the morning and you haven't arrived. There was no call or message to say that you would be late today, so I wanted to make sure you were ok." Velvet's said, her voice heavy with worry.

Weiss sighed as she looked at the clock on her scroll before she responded, "Don't worry, Velvet. You did the right thing. Thank you."

"Oh, umm… you're welcome?" Velvet said experimentally.

Weiss brushed the odd comment off, "I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Is there anything you would like me to get for you when you get in?" Velvet asked.

"No, that won't be necessary," Weiss said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll be here," Velvet replied before the line was dead.

Weiss set her scroll down on the nightstand before stretching. She turned and noticed a strange pile of blonde hair emerging from beneath the covers. She looked at it confused for a second before she remembered the strange night she had.

Weiss decided that Yang earned a rest for saving her last night and left her there as she arose from the bed and made her way to the bathroom for her shower. She didn't spend a lot of time as she needed to make her way to work. She dried herself off with a towel and wrapped herself up before opening the door back to the bedroom.

What she was expecting was to peer out of the door and see Yang either still asleep or just crawling out of bed. She expected to be able to grab something to cover herself up so she could dress herself in peace. She expected something normal and rational.

What she wasn't expecting was the door to have more force than she was providing, causing her to lose balance and fall forward. What she wasn't expecting was Yang to be there ready to catch her. And she sure as hell didn't expect to land on top of her, pinning her to the ground wearing nothing but a towel to cover herself.

Nevertheless, that was where the two found themselves. One modestly dressed in a tee shirt and underwear, and the other with nothing but a large strip of cloth. One on top of the other, their bodies pressed close, and the excess water from the shower making them both damp. The two lingered for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Their breaths were slow and steady, but their heartbeats were fast and erratic.

Weiss pushed herself off Yang and rolled on the ground, keeping as much of her body hidden behind the towel as she could. "What are you doing!?" Weiss screamed.

Yang quickly went on the defensive, turning away and holding her arms up. "I'm really sorry, I was looking for the door out of the bedroom, but I didn't know you were in the bathroom. I picked the wrong door!"

"That's an understatement!" Weiss said as she stood, still trying her best to keep herself covered.

"I'm sorry. Please believe me," Yang pleaded.

Weiss groaned, "The door back to the main house is through that door." She pointed to another door on the other side of the room.

"I'll make you some coffee," Yang said as she made her way towards the door.

"One moment," Weiss called as she bent down and gathered Yang's pants. "You're going to need these." She tossed them in front of Yang so she could grab them without having to turn around. She quickly put them on and made her way out of the room, only mumbling a thank you before she left.

Weiss was left standing in her bedroom with one thought running through her head. "What happened?" She asked aloud before dismissing the thought and starting to dress herself for the day.

When she finally made her way out of her bedroom, she was greeted with the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen. She quickly made her way towards it and found, sitting on the table, a mug of coffee. She made a beeline towards it, taking it into her hands and feeling the warmth from the ceramic heating her hands.

The bliss was short lived however when the front door opened. Cold quickly invaded its way into the house and through the kitchen, causing Weiss to shiver slightly. The door was quickly closed as Yang made her way into the room. She was wearing her heavy duty snow gear, but it didn't seem to help her as her teeth were chattering from the cold.

"Yang? What happened?" Weiss asked as she put down her mug and moved closer.

"Snow… lots of it…" Yang said slowly, trying to regain heat in her body.

"How bad?" Weiss asked.

"Can't get out," Yang said as she took off her gloves and made her way to her own mug of coffee on the counter.

"What? We can't get out?" Weiss made her way to the front door and opened it up. Outside of the door looked to be a mountain of snow completely blocking her view to the rest of the neighborhood. She could see that some progress was made to try to deal with it, but it didn't even make a dent in it.

Yang made her way back over, her mug still in her hands. "I tried to go over, but I couldn't get any good foot holds. After that, I tried going through. Seemed to work for a moment until it collapsed on me." Yang said, still huddling in her coat for warmth.

"But… how?" Weiss asked, bewilderment clear on her face. "How did Cardin get through?"

"Well, the wind died down a lot when Cardin had shown up, but it kept snowing. Yang said, trying to coax Weiss back into the house so she could close the door. "And, from what I could tell from my climb, it looks like your roof dropped nearly everything on top of it."

Weiss didn't have anything to say. She just closed the door and made her way back to her coffee mug. "Of all days," she muttered to herself as she took a sip. She set the coffee cup down and started tapping her foot. "I still have so much work to do, and yet I'm stuck at home. And you! Didn't you have to open today?" Weiss snapped as she pointed at Yang.

"I had this morning off, so my alarm wasn't set to wake me up," Yang said simply as she finished off her drink. She made her way to the coffee pot to refill herself as she continued. "This is the only day of the week I'm off from both jobs."

"Well still, I have to show up and… hang on… both jobs?" Weiss turned and eyed Yang suspiciously.

Yang turned around with a fresh cup of coffee and an innocent smile on her face. "Yeah, about that."

"You have a second job?" Weiss asked, taking a step towards Yang.

"I wasn't making enough money from Clockworks alone, so I had to find more money," Yang said.

"So you decided to take another job?" Weiss took another step towards Yang.

"It was to help my sister. My rent had gone up and my checks didn't," Yang said.

"And why didn't you think to tell me, your boss, about your financial troubles?" Weiss continued her advance on Yang.

"Because you weren't my boss at the time, Weiss. Roman told me that there was no where in the budget for me to get a raise, so I accepted it and moved on," Yang said, her voice starting to grow louder.

"And yet you still didn't come to me after my promotion. Are you too prideful to ask a friend for help?" Weiss was only a step away from Yang now.

"Only when my friend is swamped with her new job and doesn't make time to open herself up to her associates!" Yang shouted.

"Oh, so you think you could do my job better than me?" Weiss asked as she closed the gap between them.

"Of course not! That's why I turned down the offer of head of the dust department and told them that you were a much better candidate!" Yang shouted.

Weiss quickly took a step back, trying to process what was just said, "...What?"

Yang gave a deep sigh, "When Roman left, Ozpin had originally offered me his position. To take over the dust department and make it my own."

"But… why didn't you take it?" Weiss asked.

"Because of you…" Yang said.

"What?" Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I turned down the job because of you." Yang said, remembering back. "Every day on the show floor you and I would be there in the dust section, reorganizing the already perfect product just to give us something to do. And every day, you would stand up, proud and strong, looking over the store with a brilliant smile and a fire in your eyes. You would look around and say, 'One day, I'm going to run this store, and I'm going to do it better.'"

Weiss smiled as the memory from what felt like so long ago popped into her mind. "I still think that," She said.

"I know you do," Yang said as she put down her empty mug and placed her hands on Weiss' shoulders. "And I know that you can run all of Vale if you wanted. You're good enough to be able to run circles around any one of them. That's what I told Ozpin, and that's what got you the job."

"But… I still don't understand. The promotion comes with a massive pay raise, and you needed the money. Why did you let that go?" Weiss asked.

"Because of you, Weiss. And because of Ruby," Yang said. "One thing was very clear to me. You wanted this job more than anything else. Whether it be for personal reasons or professional, you had more to lose and more to gain. Not only that, but the hours and responsibility made it nearly impossible for me to be able to be there for Ruby. I also knew that once I got this job, I would work so hard to make sure that I did my best. But I also knew that I would cut any corner for you. If I had some spare time, I'd come down to the show floor and hang out with you for too long. If you needed something, I'd give it to you at the expense of either myself or another employee."

"Why would you do that for me?" Weiss asked.

"Well, because I'm a sucker for people I care about, and past my sister I care about you most of all," Yang said as she picked up her mug and tried to take her first drink before realizing it was empty. The contents were actually strewn around on the kitchen floor. Once Yang realized her mistake, she slowly set her mug down. "Looks like I got a little carried away."

Weiss followed Yang's vision, "Well, there's some perfectly good coffee gone to waste."

"I'll clean it up," Yang said.

"You dolt, let me help you," Weiss said as she grabbed the roll of paper towels.

"Haven't heard you use that word in a long time," Yang said.

"Well it's applicable, so get used to it," Weiss replied.

The clean up went rather quickly, and in no time the kitchen tile was spotless. After that, Weiss called Velvet and told her that she would be unable to come in today. Once that was settled and their responsibilities were done, the two were able to relax on the couch as they turned on a movie.

That is until Yang's scroll started ringing. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the contact number. She answered the call and put the phone to her ear.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Yang asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. What's up with the disappearing act?" Ruby asked back.

"Oh, right. You were probably asleep when I sent the message last night," Yang said.

"I got the message. With how bad the weather was gonna get, I stayed up until I knew you were safe. However, the message clearly stated that you'd call me in the morning. So?" Ruby asked accusingly.

"Right, I'm sorry about that. There was a lot going on both last night and this morning that I kinda spaced about that…" Yang said.

"Yeah yeah, I'm sure you had a magical night with whoever last night," Ruby said playfully.

Unfortunately for Yang, Weiss overheard that. "Excuse me!?" She screeched.

"Woah, Weiss, it's not what you think, I swear!" Yang said, trying to calm her down.

"Yang, you're with your boss right now? Scandalous," Ruby said, snickering.

"Ruby! You're not helping!" Yang said

"Oh the nerve of her! Give me the scroll and I'll give her a piece of my mind!" Weiss said, reaching for the scroll.

Yang moved her arm away to keep it out of Weiss' reach. "That's not necessary, Weiss! Please calm down!"

"I **AM** calm!" Weiss said furiously. "Just let me prove it to your brat of a sister!"

"I'll call you later, sis!" Yang cried as she hung up the call.

"Agh! The nerve of that girl! Does she not understand that I'm her boss?" Weiss asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think she understands that you can't fire her so easily," Yang said as she readjusted herself on the couch.

Weiss huffed as she turned back and focused her attention on the movie before her. The two were now much more comfortable with the chaos of the past twelve hours behind them. However, Weiss could never seem to get quite warm enough. She decided to grab a blanket, but that didn't help as much as she wanted. So, in lieu of grabbing a second one, she decided to rely on a better source of heat.

She slowly scooted her way towards Yang on the couch, who eyed the activity with a curious look on her face.

"I'm cold," was the only answer Weiss gave. It seemed to work, however, as Yang brought her arm out and dragged her closer, forcing Weiss to lean her head on her shoulders. The warmth from the second body quickly heated Weiss up, and with her head on Yang's surprisingly soft shoulder, she couldn't stop her eyes from closing as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Dawww, look at those cuties. Not to toot my own horn or anything.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. More backstory on Weiss and Yang, so I hope that satiates some questions. In the meantime, I gotta get to writing. I don't have much set up for the next chapter, so I gotta write quick.

Hope you enjoyed!

-MM


End file.
